On the same day photos of the brand new, refurbishedAlamo Drafthouse in Austin Texas surfaced, there’s more good news for the company. After years of trying, the Alamo Drafthouse is finally coming to Los Angeles, CA.

CEO Tim Leaguehad looked at multiple locations over the past few years, but the new theater will be in the growing downtown area. Specifically, it’ll be part of a complex called the Bloc on the corner of 7th and Flower Streets with an aim to open in 2015. Read more about the Alamo Drafthouse Los Angeles below. Read More »

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In 2008 I wrote a post about how The Alamo Drafthouse was the best movie theater ever. Has it really been six and a half years since I first visited Austin Texas and had my mind blown by the Drafthouse? Seems so.

Recently the Alamo Drafthouse’s flagship theater the Also Drafthouse South Lamar underwent huge renovations, including a three auditorium expansion. Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar and The Highball will be having their soft opening on Saturday, August 16th, just in time for September’s Fantastic Fest 2014. After the jump you can see the first Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar photos, and also an in-depth tour of the new Highball and their themed karaoke rooms. See photos and learn more information about whats new.

In Her, Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) takes his OS girlfriend (Scarlett Johansson) out on all kinds of dates. They lounge on the beach, run through a carnival, and even enjoy a snowy romantic getaway in the woods. But in real life, in the present, there are certain dates where your phone should be strictly off-limits. Even Siri thinks so.

For their latest no-cell-phones PSA, the Alamo Drafthouse has enlisted Susan Bennet, the actual human voice of Siri, to admonish theater patrons looking to send texts or place calls during the show. Turns out, you do not want to mess with Siri. Check it out after the jump.

New Yorkers were thrilled last year to hear that Alamo Drafthousewas all set to come to Manhattan, but alas, it’s not to be. The cinema chain has just scrapped their plans for the Upper West Side location, citing the rising cost of construction after Hurricane Sandy. Hit the jump to read more about the announcement.

The Alamo Drafthouse brand is beloved among moviegoers for their plush theaters, but it’s revered for their impeccable taste in movies. Whether programming a film festival or picking up indies for distribution, they’ve demonstrated an eye for films that aren’t just good, but unique.

With 2012 on its way out, the company has just released its list of their ten favorite movies from the year. Some of the titles were as successful at the box office as they were with critics, while others are more off the beaten track, but all are well worth checking out. Read their picks after the jump.

New York is already a pretty sweet place to live if you’re a film lover. Not only is it among the first stops for limited releases, its popularity as a shooting location means New Yorkers are constantly surrounded by the sites of iconic movie scenes. It’s home to lots of industry movers and shakers, meaning it’s not so unusual to run into stars or filmmakers at screenings of their films. And over the next three years, it’s only getting more cinephile-friendly.

Earlier this year, the Alamo Drafthouse revealed plans to expand to New York with locations in Yonkers (2013) and Manhattan’s Upper West Side (2014). Now the Austin-based cinema chain is plotting a third New York spot in downtown Brooklyn. Called Alamo Drafthouse City Point, the theater is on track to open in 2015. More after the jump.

The more often you go the movies, the more snobby you become. Everything has to be just right: the seat, the picture, the sound, everything just a certain way so you can enjoy the film. What this (admittedly selfish) mindset also does is create a long list of pet peeves: other people talking during a movie; checking their phones; or arriving late and asking if those middle seats you got by showing up 30 minutes early are open. I am guilty of being one of these snobs.

Few things are more distracting when a movie starts than people who arrive after the show has started and the Alamo Drafthouse is doing something about it. Starting January 3, they’ll be implementing a strict policy that no one will be admitted into a theater once the movie has begun. If you’re running late, you can get your money back or a ticket to another showtime but everyone must arrive on time.

As the Austin, TX-based Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has become one of the major templates for a movie theater chain that pleases filmmakers and audiences alike, film lovers in other cities have hoped the company might find a home in places outside Texas. An early expansion of the chain didn’t exactly go without a hitch, as founders Tim and Karrie League sold the brand name, which led to some expansions in Texas that weren’t quite up to spec.

In 2010 Tim League came back on as CEO of the Drafthouse, and since has been running it as the premiere boutique cinema chain. The current Texas theaters will soon be complimented by expansions announced for San Francisco, Virginia, and Colorado. Today the company announces a long hoped-for New York City location.

The Alamo Drafthouse New York will be in the former Metro Theater at 2626 Broadway, on the Upper West Side. The company promises that the new five-screen location will feature all the things fans like about the Drafthouse: the strict no talking and texting policy, the food and beverage selection, and the creative special events and repertory programming that goes alongside the booking of new films.

After the break read the press release from Alamo; we’ve also updated with comments from Tim League. Read More »